Category: Fashion

What makes a company successful? Well, to properly answer that question: it depends on what type of company. When it comes to fashion companies, success is a far from an easy thing to obtain. Fashion is the most cut-throat industry on the planet. Very few experience real worldwide success.

Yet, that’s exactly what Kate Hudson has done. Three years ago, when she launched Fabletics, she never knew her company would grow into a $250 million business. Fabletics seems to have a life of its own, with a huge following; mostly comprised of millennials. Millennials love the fashionable fitness wear of Fabletics and their affordable prices.

Was it strategy or just luck that Kate Hudson’s brand caught the attention of an entire generation? Honestly, it’s probably both; but more on the strategic planning side. Millennials are far more health conscious than their parents, and they also have a more relaxed approach to casual wear. Activewear is the perfect blend of the two.

Millennials have also taken to Fabletics because of their personalized outfit selection. Every month, fashion experts at Fabletics select outfits they believe members will like. It’s a way of introducing new styles to those who may be more comfortable staying in a rut.

That’s part of Fabletic’s high-value brand. High-value brand doesn’t mean it’s expensive; it’s not. High-value brands are determined by consumers. These days, consumers care more about what extra features companies are willing to go to keep them as loyal customers. Fabletics also offers a free lifestyle quiz for those looking to explore their inventory.

Instead of following the pop-up store route, Fabletics decided to build relationships with its members. So far, Fabletics has 16 stores nationwide and plans to add more by the end of this year. Despite the many obstacles facing companies these days, Fabletic’s strategy seems to be paying off.

According to Fabletic’s managers, nearly half of the people walking through their doors are already members. In addition, nearly one-fourth of people walking through the door become members after looking around. Fabletics relies so very heavily on its members for local support and information.

According to one non-sponsored reviewer, the biggest surprise about Fabletics is the variety of styles. Lots of fashion companies say they have an expansive inventory. Fabletic’s products’ quality is surprisingly pretty good as well.

For any retailer to compete with Amazon, they would have to really be on their game. Amazon has been in complete cruise control when it comes to the apparel niche, pulling in nearly 20 percent of all the sales in this market. Kate Hudson’s Fabletics is trying to give Amazon a real run for their money, having already taken in over $250 million is sales of women’s active-wear, leggings, tank tops, and yoga pants. The entire sales process and benefits have really struck a chord with female shoppers who return time and time again to keep buying the latest in this brand.

To get a better understanding as to why so many women are buying this athleisure brand, we have to look at the entire sales process from start to finish. Starting at the Fabletics stores in the mall, we see women who are trying on all those pieces of active-wear, taking the Fabletics Lifestyle Quiz, and scanning the racks of all the latest in high-quality workout apparel. One of the exciting things that is included with the membership is you try on things at the mall and they are instantly transferred to the online profile. That is the secret to this company, so lets see how it actually works when you see the sales process completed.

When these shoppers are able to kick back and relax, they can head over to the Fabletics website where they continue the shopping experience. Those clothing items they were wearing in the store, tank tops, leggings, yoga pants, all show up in their online profile. Knowing they fit perfectly, these customers are able to just keep adding more items to their online shopping cart without concern. When you compare that to buying one piece of active-wear at eBay or Amazon because you are afraid it won’t fit, you can see how different the sales process really is.

The benefits to shopping at Kate Hudson’s Fabletics doesn’t end there. Unlike other shopping sites online, all orders ship for free and these members also get special discounted pricing on select items. When you take the Lifestyle Quiz, you allow your own Fabletics personal shopper to choose one item each month and add it to your account for consideration. Busy consumers love the idea of someone shopping for them, and it shows in how sales numbers are exploding from year to year. Amazon may not be worried today, but Fabletics is certainly headed in the right direction.